Travel advisors LOVE visiting hotels.  I usually schedule private appointments or go on agency trips, which we refer to as “educationals,” but I also fit them in on personal vacations.  My poor family was dragged through six hotels in London, which was quite a feat in that sprawling city with an already packed sightseeing calendar!  (It did make me appreciate how much a hotel’s location mattered there.) I actually had three more appointments which I cancelled when I could tell my family was ready to mutiny.

It’s no secret that you can’t rely on hotel websites to tell the whole story, and just staying as a guest is not enough to truly understand it. The reason travel advisors do hotel inspections (aka site inspections or site visits) is to go behind the scenes with the sales staff, so we can see a variety of rooms and suites, get access to areas like the spa, fitness center and kids’ club, and understand the hotel’s selling points. We are evaluating the property through the eyes of ALL our clients. Our hosts also tell us about the inspiration for the design and decor and historical background, and share ungoogleable details that could make the difference between the hotel being a hit or miss for a particular client.

Travel advisors are interested in the details: number of rooms & suites, what percent have balconies or are connecting, the low and high season dates, quantity and location of USB ports and in a room. But we also learn about special amenities and services for guests, what travelers need to know and pack for the destination, and what we should do to make our client’s stay special. Things I have learned on site visits include:

• A London hotel provides Burberry trench coats in the suites.
• We can can reserve complimentary pool chairs in a premium location at Scottsdale hotel when we make our client’s room reservation.
• A San Francisco hotel only lets registered guests make reservations in their iconic restaurant.
• An exclusive perk for our clients is complimentary beach club access at a Santa Barbara resort.

The most important takeaways of a hotel inspection are the intangibles: the vibe, the sense of place, the service level, the amount of privacy.  We are mentally figuring out which hotel, and even which specific room, is the best match for a particular client. This is especially important at a property where all rooms are unique, or it’s a large property with multiple towers or wings.

Here are actual notes from some of my hotel inspection reports (typos and grammar corrected so they are more legible):

• Hotel decorated with art from owner’s personal collection, won award for best in-room minibar in the city
• Club lounge breakfast ran out 45 min before closing on a busy weekend
• 4 rooms in the spa can combine to make a suite for a group, like bachelorette party
• Huge walk-in in closet, can fit a rollaway (good for family of 5), built when people traveling by rail for a long time & had large trunks
• Only 4 “Deluxe Oceanfront Balcony” rooms, often not shown on website so contact hotel directly to book
• Villa with private pool is next to 4 terrace suites, book all for a small group or family gathering
• Largest suites are in the building with the less desirable view
• All rooms identical, pay more for location and view
• Lots of differences in rooms because of the design of the building, contact sales to pick best room
  

  “The Oak Suite’s patio can hold 25 people for a small event or wedding”

  My colleagues and I put all our reports in a shared library.  So I can always find the best property and the best room category (sometimes a specific room number) for my clients, even if I haven’t been there.

Before spending your valuable time scouring websites with conflicting reviews, or scrolling through hotel photo galleries, contact me to get an objective opinion about what hotel I think is the best for your trip and why. And to get our exclusive perks!